Colin Kaepernick: Kind of a big deal in Reno

While there are still a few Alex Smith backers among 49ers fans in the Bay Area, the greater Reno area clearly has gone all in on Colin Kaepernick. Based on my unscientific observation during a visit to Sparks this weekend, Kaepernick gear is the area’s second largest business after gambling.

Kaepernick’s No. 7 San Francisco 49ers jersey was this year’s Cabbage Patch Kid and Furby in Northern Nevada — the local media covered a shortage in the days before Christmas. The Nevada Appeal reported yesterday that 14 percent of the NFL’s Kaepernick jerseys are shipping to Nevada, a state with well under 3 million residents.

The jersey section at Scheels sporting goods in Reno neighbor Sparks, where I took these photos, was dominated by Kaepernick gear. I counted more than 200 Kaepernick adult jerseys, children’s jerseys and T-shirts, compared to less than 15 total for the rest of the 49ers players. (I didn’t see a single jersey for Alex Smith. Not even on the clearance rack.)

Kaepernick was one of the most beloved players in University of Nevada history — the Reno-based Wolf Pack was the only school that offered him a scholarship, and he became the first player in NCAA history to pass for more than 2,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 in three consecutive seasons.

So beloved that people don’t seem to be flinching at the audaciousness of $32 for a T-shirt, a price I’ve previously seen only at Giants Dugout Stores and One Direction concerts. The $100 jerseys don’t even have stitched lettering — those probably won’t be available until closer to next season.

Christmas Kaepernick jersey shortages were also reported in the San Joaquin Valley, where Kaepernick was raised.

I can’t remember a sudden demand Bay Area sports jerseys like this in recent years — maybe Brian Wilson? — although I’m guessing this is what sporting goods stores near Salt Lake City looked like when Steve Young took over from Joe Montana.

PETER HARTLAUB is the pop culture critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and founder/editor of The Big Event. He takes requests. Contact him at phartlaub@sfchronicle.com. Follow him on Twitter @peterhartlaub. Follow The Big Event on Facebook.